http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Iran/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Middle East , Iran en-us Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:28:11 BST Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:28:11 BST Hello allTwo weeks ago we left Turkmenistan and crossed into 304ran... Bit of a shock We hit Tehran f305rst and had an interesting t305me gett305ng around. We d305d manage to see all sorts of n305ce s305tes and then headed off 305n the truck.Here are the c305t305es we stayed 305nTehranYadzSh305razEsphahanBush Camp near ZanjanTabr305zThe people of Iran a http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tabriz/blog-334725.html We manage to get ourselves a driver to take us to the desert town of Abarqu. We strategically load all our gear into the car and get the hell out of Yazd. The drive to Aberqu is much longer than anticipated and quite boring apart from the imaginatively named Eagle mountain. We arrive at Aberqu around lunchtime and what can I say about this town Well if Mansour thought Yazd was a shithole its http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/South/Persepolis-/blog-334161.html We arrive in Yazd early on Friday morning. Pat and Christina decide to join me in meeting up with Mansour. While waiting for him to arrive we meet a couple from Geelong who are cycling through Iran. We all find it odd that five Australians are standing at a roundabout in a town in the middle of the desert in Iran at eight o'clock in morning. Mansour and Maria arrive and the first question he asks http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/East/Yazd/blog-333536.html Since Tehran we have been travelling west across Iran . Everywhere we go the people are wonderful usually greeting us with 'Welcome to Iran'. I have had a man stop the traffic for me and a family invite me to their home in Northern Iran if I am in the areaAfter Tehran which was fantastic we stopped in Yadz. Yadz is one of the oldest regions in Iran and we spent the day following the walking to http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/East/Yazd/blog-333526.html Reza is working so he leaves me with his friend Mehrdad. Mehrdad and his taxi driver brother Mehdi come to collect me and after a sneaky lunchtime tea behind closed doors so as not to offend the masses we head to the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza. Apparently he was a pretty popular bloke because the sheer size of the Haram is unbelievable. After much confusion since alot of the site is offlimits t http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/East/Mashhad/blog-333461.html Some of the things I Liked in My Travels Around Iran Fresh olives sold in big jars I didn't buy any jars but did have Zatoon Parvardeh olives in walnut paste at a restaurant The cool weather as we drove closer to Masoulah and how the terrain reminded me a bit of California These wonderful cinnamon treats kolucheh bought straight from the oven Watching guys cut hay by hand and glad it wasn't http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Esfahan/blog-332321.html Well we are now in Tehran. We camped one night after crossing the border from Turkmenistan and then had an 18 hr drive to get into Tehran the following day. Tehran has been great a very modern city where we visited the Palace the Den of Espionage' the old US Embassy the National Museum and the Jewels Museum really enjoyed it all. We boutght black cotton in Ashgabat and borrowed long shirt http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tehran/blog-330751.html On from Tehran to Esfahan http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/blog-327336.html Pictures rather than words...From Istanbul to Tehran by train. And then to Esfahan http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/blog-326466.html We set off the next day after a wonderful breakfast of bread cheese and homemade jam to Jolfa on the border with Azerbaijan. I had just finished the book by Kurban Said called Ali and Nino about the romance between a Muslim boy and Christian girl growing up in Baku at the beginning of the First World War. Apparently this is seen as the national book of Azerbaijan. Fantastic story romance and h http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tabriz/blog-309377.html We returned to Takhte Soleiman the next morning it was powerful seeing it again in a different light just after dawn. Like a person you felt you knew it better seeing the place at a different time of day. I just sat by the circular lake and dreamed my dreams while AS told the others the story of the site. In Persian it was no good to me and so I enjoyed the time sitting alone.More villag http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/blog-309374.html August 2008I arrived with my wife at Imam Khomeini Airport Tehran for a three week visit. We have some tenuous plans for trips outside of Tehran.Well the first trip is planned with a long drive up north to see the Caspian Sea then a visit to the mountain village of Masoulah.Tuesday morning I awake at 7 a.m. for a leisurely preparation of our upcoming trip to the Caspian Sea more specifically http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Bandar-e-Anzali/blog-309370.html In the morning the bazaar faction won the day so we visited the bazaar in Kermanshah there we found Kurdish sparkling clothes galore as well as sweets and cakes. It was great seeing everyone with the bright hats and scarves that they had found in the bazaar all waiting on the pavement for the bus to start. Iranian bazaars are fantastic proper working places the large ones are cities within ci http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Kermanshah/blog-309369.html The next day we had been told to be at breakfast at 6.30 early for me While most of the women were there none of the men were Great door knockings and retributions ensued though all fairly good natured So we got off a bit later than planned first stop Takhte Bostan Taqe Bostan just outside Kermanshah. This site has three well preserved Sassanian basreliefs showing the crowning ceremoni http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Kermanshah/blog-308999.html We met at midnight in a car park in central Tehran and the night was full of the sounds of laugher and friends greeting. I felt alone and excited as I knew no one except AS and him only slightly having met him the day before. He is a friend of F my contact at the National Museum of Iran. He had invited me on a six day historical trip around northwest Iran. Travelling companions 30 Iranian http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/blog-308996.html Dbut du voyage Inch Allah II la farik est de retour Ca y est c'est parti quips de nos deux petits sacs rouges de rando une quinzaine de kgs d'quipement nous 2 nous voil partis pour affronter la longue route qui nous conduira Jrusalem destination mystique de tous les voyageurs depuis bien des millnaires.Notre point de dpart l'Iran pays magique des mille et une nuits fameuse co http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tehran/blog-304766.html After two days spent in Kashan on the way back to Tehran I was ready to face the big smoke again. But it was not to be for as long as I imagined....Kashan is famous for its traditional 'houses' clustered together on a few streets just outside the city centre. Many of these 19th century Qajar style palaces built by Kashan's great and good are now empty and echoing lit by delicate stained glass w http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Kashan/blog-302681.html Not many I doubt you really want to see 100 photos of tilework. The carets are the ones I ended up buying.And now just as I'd finally gotten the hang of this blog . . . I've been asked to do a blog on gapyear.com. So at least for the duration of my time in Japan and possibly for the whole trip my blog can be found here New travel blogIt's a pain as I don't think you can subscribe to it and http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/blog-295237.html Hello there... So yeah i've signed up at this travelblog so as to jot down thoughts and stuff about the places i visit and the thoughts that fly into my mind.Well..for the past few weeks i have been in Tehran to visit family frinds and to enjoy the great weather and sights.i was supposed to visit persepolis this week but plans changed and this will be my itinary for this summer TehranDubaiD http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tehran/blog-293952.html Here in Shiraz the city of the poet Hafez wine grapes and poetry nightingales and roses the people are even friendlier and more relaxed than elsewhere in Iran. They pride themselves on their liberal attitudes and sophisticated way of living.Shiraz is most famous for the ancient site of Persepolis which is nearby. Someone who will remain nameless and should know better said lsquoOh you saw http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/South/Shiraz/blog-293949.html Yazd is a small oasis city in southern central Iran in the middle of the desert. The landscape during the journey from Esfahan did not look like it changed much in seven hours though admittedly I was not looking out of the window all the time allowing the bus to rock me to sleep.The city's water comes from underground qanats miles away in the mountains. Here the women are almost exclusively dre http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/East/Yazd/blog-293923.html The 2nd half of Iran. Enjoy the pics. http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/South/Bandar-Abbas/blog-293876.html Or as they say in Farsi Esfahan nesfe jahan...As am sitting here in this most beautiful and welcoming of cities we find out that Israel is sabre rattling against Iran by carrying out military excercises in Greece. Here on the ground I have never been in a city more hospitable where people talk to you on the streets and buy you icecreams this happened today a young student girl bought me and Ri http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Esfahan/blog-289923.html Here I am in the middle of Iran in Isfahan. But first let me take you back to my arrival in Tehran at IKA airport because you have some catching up to do. Sitting on the flight wondering what was awaiting. The stories some people told women never travel on their own you will not be able to get about without a driver and interpreter and of course is Iran safe all are easily batted away wit http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Esfahan/blog-289902.html Crossing the border from Pakistan was no trouble at all and I was ushered through in less than an hour it was once I was in Iran however that things started to get more complicated. I was issued with an army officer and told that from now on for my own safety he would travel with me. This didn't make much sense because it is far more dangerous on the Pakistani side and I had no guard there but http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/Esfahan/blog-287294.html Seriously insanely long journey. Left hotel 5.20am local time now 9.15pm local time and still not even time to check in. Got as far as Tehran without incident but then getting to the airport was stressful in the extreme and a major rip off. Still here we are ensconced in aircon with internet access and a snack stall to spend our last rials.Earlier . . .Saw Narjes for lunch on 11th and dinne http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tehran/blog-287276.html We arrived in Yazd from Isfahan on the 6th June. The bus journey was good a nice air conditioned very punctual bus.We're staying at Kohan Kashana traditional hotel which means courtyards fountains and general lovely atmosphere all for 300000 rials a night twin room inc. breakfast en suite.I've managed to get ill by eating a camel burger on the 6th. Severe stomach cramps and all the usual http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/East/Yazd/blog-284933.html Iran Part 1 Do forgive the brevity of this entry. Although it is arguably the most intense part of my trip so far the Ayatollah apparently wishes that I do not open my travelblog. Perhaps the government deems it salacious In any case the crafty internet caf guy has an antifilter programme which now lets me send a message to you. Take that Islamic RepublicI finally got my Iranian visa. App http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/West/blog-284457.html Well we've made it in one piece. Journey out with Air France went smoothly and immigration was much quicker than last time we landed at the new airport which looks good. A driver from Firouzeh Hotel picked us up. The hotel is ok clean enough cheap 240000 per night for the twin room including breakfast with an en suite shower though toilets are shared and mostly squat. The managerrec http://www.travelblog.org//Middle-East/Iran/North/Tehran/blog-282527.html